Mets add former Twin May to bullpen with two-year deal
He’s not the Trevor who will propel Mets fans into a continued frenzy, but he’s still one of the better bullpen arms on this winter’s free-agent market.
The Mets have signed former Twins right-handed reliever Trevor May to a two-year deal pending a physical, a source confirmed to the Daily News. He represents the first major signing of the Steve Cohen and Sandy Alderson era.
May, 31, has spent six seasons on Minnesota’s staff — posting a 3.18 ERA and 1.09 WHIP since returning from Tommy John surgery in 2018. He put up a 3.86 ERA and 38⁄7 K/BB ratio across 23.1 innings in 2020. His 14.66 SO/9 rate ranked seventh in the big leagues this past season, per FanGraphs.
The 6-foot-5, 240-pound righty has a relationship with Mets pitching coach Jeremy Hefner, who served as an assistant pitching coach and advance scout for Minnesota. The Mets, a day after revealing bench coach Hensley Meulens will not return to his position, have not yet announced their coaching staff for the 2021 season. It is expected that Hefner, who received high praise from the Amazin’s staff, will return for a second season in Queens.
May joins a righty-heavy relief corps that includes Edwin Diaz, Dellin Betances, Miguel Castro, Brad Brach, Jacob Barnes, Jeurys Familia and Seth Lugo if the Mets decide to shift him back to the bullpen. Chasen Shreve is currently the only left-handed reliever.
The addition of May could signal a shift in the bullpen. The Mets may decide to non-tender Robert Gsellman (who posted a 9.64 ERA in 14 innings in 2020) ahead of today’s
deadline for teams to offer 2021 deals to unsigned players on their 40-man rosters. The extra relief arm could also lead the Amazin’s to keep Lugo in the rotation, where he ended the 2020 season.
The Mets still have holes in their starting five and the acquisition of May would of course still keep them in the running for 2020 NL Cy Young winner Trevor Bauer. Getting Marcus Stroman to accept his $18.9 million qualifying offer and remain in Queens for at least another year was a huge step. But with Noah Syndergaard set to return from elbow surgery by April-May at best and the indecisiveness of Lugo’s place in the rotation, the Mets still need to sign an elite starter.
Alderson, who has not yet named a general manager and is, until then, running the club’s baseball operations, said the Mets will use their abundance of resources (stemming from Cohen’s billions) to focus on signing free agents rather than participating in trades.